These are estimates of the initial raw orders to Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores for graphic novels scheduled for shipping in March 2003.
For an over-view and analysis of the best-selling comics and graphic novels in March, see 'March Comic Orders Mixed.'
For an analysis of the dollar trends in March, see 'Q1 Comics Even With 2002.'
For the top 300 comics in March, see 'Top 300 Comics--March 2003.'
QtyRank Guide Description Price Pub Est.Qty 1 3.99 100 BULLETS VOL 5 COUNTERFIFTH DETECTIVE TP (MR) $12.95 DC 4,901 2 3.54 TOP TEN BOOK TWO TP $14.95 DC 4,348 3 2.8 STAR WARS INFINITIES EMPIRE STRIKES BACK TP $12.95 DAR 3,439 4 2.77 CHOBITS VOL 5 GN (Of 8) $9.99 TKP 3,403 5 2.51 CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON GN #3 $13.95 COM 3,083 6 2.49 COWBOY BEBOP SHOOTING STARS VOL 1 GN (Of 2) $9.99 TKP 3,059 7 2.41 BIZARRO COMICS SC $19.95 DC 2,960 8 2.39 GREEN LANTERN EMERALD DAWN II TP $12.95 DC 2,936 9 2.35 HEROBEAR & THE KID VOL 1 INHERITANCE TP $17.95 AST 2,887 10 2.35 METROPOLIS TP $13.95 DAR 2,887 11 2.2 GOLDEN AGE SPECTRE ARCHIVES VOL 1 $49.95 DC 2,702 12 2.2 BATMAN ADV DANGEROUS DAMES & DEMONS TP $14.95 DC 2,702 13 2.15 MARVEL UNIVERSE VOL 1 THANOS INFINITY ABYSS TP $17.99 MAR 2,641 14 2.1 Y THE LAST MAN UNMANNED VOL 1 TP (STAR17386) (MR) $12.95 DC 2,580 15 2.09 NEW TEEN TITANS JUDAS CONTRACT TP NEW ED $19.95 DC 2,567 16 2.07 AVENGERS LEGENDS VOL 2 KORVAC SAGA TP $19.95 MAR 2,543 17 2.07 ULTIMATE X-MEN VOL 2 HC $29.99 MAR 2,543 18 2.06 XENOZOIC TALES VOL 1 TP $14.95 DAR 2,530 19 2.05 LOEG ABSOLUTE ED VOL 1 OVERSIZED HC $75.00 DC 2,518 20 2.05 ASTRO BOY VOL 14 TP $9.95 DAR 2,518 21 2.03 STRANGERS IN PARADISE VOL 12 TP $12.95 ABS 2,494 22 1.99 KOLCHAK NIGHT STALKER LAMBS TO SLAUGHTER GN (MR) $6.95 MNS 2,444 23 1.96 DAREDEVIL VOL 1 HC $29.99 MAR 2,408 24 1.96 WONDER WOMAN PARADISE FOUND TP $14.95 DC 2,408 25 1.92 JUSTICE LEAGUE ADV TP $9.95 DC 2,358 26 1.88 BATMAN DEATHBLOW AFTER FIRE TP $12.95 DC 2,309 27 1.86 WAY O/T RAT VOL 1 TP WALLS O/ZHUMAR $15.95 CRO 2,285 28 1.8 INU YASHA VOL 13 TP $8.95 VIZ 2,211 29 1.79 FORGE #12 $7.95 CRO 2,199 30 1.72 AVENGERS VOL 1 WORLD TRUST TP $14.99 MAR 2,113 31 1.71 WOLVERINE LEGENDS VOL 2 MELTDOWN TP $19.99 MAR 2,100 32 1.71 CARDCAPTOR SAKURA MASTER O/T CLOW VOL 4 GN $9.99 TKP 2,100 33 1.68 EDGE #12 $7.95 CRO 2,064 34 1.66 PROHIBITED #3 HC (MR) $14.95 HEA 2,039 35 1.65 SIMPSONS COMIC MADNESS TP $14.95 BON 2,027 36 1.61 WOLVERINE LEGENDS VOL 3 LAW O/T JUNGLE TP $12.99 MAR 1,978 37 1.57 MARMALADE BOY VOL 6 GN (Of 8) $9.99 TKP 1,929 38 1.54 HIGH ROADS TP $14.95 DC 1,892 39 1.53 WEAPON X VOL 1 TP $21.99 MAR 1,879 40 1.52 BTVS WILLLOW & TARA TP $9.95 DAR 1,867 41 1.47 ALL NEW TENCHI MUYO VOL 1 TP ALIEN NATION $8.95 VIZ 1,806 42 1.45 LUPIN III VOL 3 GN (Of 14) $9.99 TKP 1,781 43 1.42 MEGATOKYO CHAPTER ONE $10.95 ICE 1,744 44 1.3 SCION VOL 4 TP SANCTUARY $15.95 CRO 1,597 45 1.3 TOKYO MEW MEW VOL 1 GN (Of 4) $9.99 TKP 1,597 46 1.3 HOOD VOL 1 BLOOD FROM STONES TP (MR) $14.99 MAR 1,597 47 1.24 SPIDER-MANS TANGLED WEB VOL 4 TP $15.99 MAR 1,523 48 1.23 INITIAL D VOL 6 GN (Of 23) (RES) $9.99 TKP 1,511 49 1.2 SHADOW STAR NOTHING BUT TRUTH TP $14.95 DAR 1,474 50 1.19 MERIDIAN TRAVELER VOL 1 FLYING SOLO $7.95 CRO 1,462
Notes on this chart:
Some titles have been truncated or abbreviated for space reasons.
Publisher abbreviations have also been used.
Mar = Marvel
Dar = Dark Horse
Dre = Dreamwave
Ima = Image
Bla = Black Bull
Car = Cartoon Books
Har = Harris
Cro = Crossgen
Bon = Bongo
Tok = Tokyo Pop
The quantities in this chart are ICv2 estimates of initial raw orders to Diamond North America on titles scheduled for shipment in March 2003. They do not include late orders, advancer reorders, distributor extras, or reorders.
Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and Image distribute 100% of their comic store orders through Diamond. Some other publishers distribute directly to stores or through other distributors and as a result this analysis may underestimate their sales.
Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Image distribute some of their titles through channels other than comic specialty stores, e.g., newsstands and bookstores. These quantity estimates do not reflect distribution through those channels.
The quantities above do not include advance reorders, late orders, or reorders.
Most of the titles on this chart are also distributed to Europe by Diamond UK, which can account for significant sales for the publisher, ranging from 3-20% of the US numbers. Sales by Diamond UK are not included in the numbers above.
Even given the above, however, it is probably safe to say that these quantities reflect 80% or more of the total North American sales by the publisher on most periodical comics.
One other factor to consider is that sales through Diamond and other comic distributors are non-returnable to retailers. That means that there is a considerable unknown percentage of books unsold at the retailer level. If that percentage is 10-20% of sales (a reasonable assumption), the estimates above may be quite close to actual sales to consumers.
For the top 50 graphic novels in February, see 'Top 50 Graphic Novels--February 2003.'
For an over-view and analysis of the best-selling comics and graphic novels in February, see 'Batman Continues To Climb in February.'
For an analysis of the dollar trends in February, see 'Comic Dollar Declines Slow in February.'
For the top 300 comics in February, see 'Top 300 Comics--February 2003.'
For links to all of the Top 300 Comic and Top 300 Graphic Novel orders, see our 'ICv2's Top 300 Comics & Top 50 GN's Index.'
